Pofadder is a small town in the Northern Cape of South Africa, synonymous with remoteness to South Africans, like Timbuktu is to others further afield. Not being satisfied with that sort of remoteness, I decided to take this photo an hour or two out of Pofadder where it really gets quiet. This is the road from Kenhardt to Pofadder, which is about 200km of dirt driving with very little to see, unless like me you love the remoteness of the Northern Cape. It's always pretty but especially like this, with rain recently fallen and more on the way. I didn't see another car for that entire 200km of road: it was just me, my Land Cruiser, and Paul Oakenfold Live in Ibiza. What a wonderful afternoon of driving it was!

For non-South Africans, Pofadder is Afrikaans for a puff adder, which is a beautiful but lazy snake that likes to lie in footpaths and bite hikers that stand on them. You really don't want to be bitten by one: you will likely experience feelings ranging from 'really really sore' to 'dead'. The town is however apparently named after one Klaas Pofadder, a local Khoi-Khoi leader back in the day. The snakes aren't in short supply around here either. However the town was named, I think it's a name David Lynch would love.

Here's what puff adders look like, this one from another Northern Cape trip to the Biedouw Valley. This is a baby, probably about 30cm long, and was very happy just lying in the sun, even with me shoving a camera in his face. Maybe not my wisest moment.